Former Vol that no one is talking about that could be an NFL draft riser
There's a former Tennessee Vols player that's flying under the radar that could be a big NFL draft riser. During the 2019 recruiting cycle, then Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt signed a lightly recruited wide receiver out of Georgia named Bub Means. Means was rated by 247Sports as a two-star recruit who was ranked as […]
There's a former Tennessee Vols player that's flying under the radar that could be a big NFL draft riser.
During the 2019 recruiting cycle, then Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt signed a lightly recruited wide receiver out of Georgia named Bub Means.
Means was rated by 247Sports as a two-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 331 wide receiver in the nation.
At the time, Means was an afterthought for Tennessee fans — the lowest rated player in a recruiting class that was headlined by names like Darnell Wright, Henry To'o To'o, Eric Gray, and Wanya Morris.
Pruitt and his staff's evaluation of Means, however, proved to be correct.
Means, who spent just one season at Tennessee before transferring to Louisiana Tech and later Pittsburgh, was mentioned by ESPN's Mel Kiper this week as a potential draft riser ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
"I'll give you another kid that I wanted to throw out there as a day three guy is Bub means," said Kiper on the First Draft podcast. "Bub Means is a good football player. Bub Means was a cornerback at Tennessee. Then he goes to Louisiana Tech, he develops there — averaged 19 plus [yards] a catch. He's returning kicks. Then he goes to Pitt, plays with all these different coordinators, different systems. Four different quarterbacks at Pitt this past year. Put up really good numbers. Watched him beat (cornerback) Jarvis Brownlee at Louisville in a game. He was taking the top off the defenses — had a 75-yard touchdown catch against Virginia Tech. He's 6-foot-1/212 lbs. Runs good. He's got big hands and long arms. Bub Means in the fourth round…when we talk day three, if he's on that list, and on that board, I like that kid."
Pruitt moved Means to cornerback during the 2019 season, though he suggested that a move back to wide receiver would've been in the works for Means had he stayed at Tennessee.
“He obviously would like to play wide receiver, and he’ll do that one day here at Tennessee,” said Pruitt of Means during the 2019 season. “But he’s a team guy and he’s worked hard to learn what to do back there in the back end. He got a little banged up in camp and had a few days that he didn’t get to participate, but he’s had a good camp, had a great attitude. He’s a guy that’ll play on special teams and a guy that I think’s got a bright future here at Tennessee.”
Means caught 41 passes for 721 yards and six touchdowns as a senior at Pittsburgh in 2023.
The fallout from Nick Saban’s retirement from Alabama almost led to another big time program pursuing Lane Kiffin
Things almost got really wild
